Seer
by muhnemma
Summary: With her true identity revealed and a war with Voldemort looming, Evie, Harry Potter's sister, fears for her life. But she's in greater danger than she can possibly imagine when a sinister plot of Voldemort's comes to fruition. Sequel to Evie. SB/OC.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **The world of Harry Potter and its characters belong to JK Rowling.

**Prologue**

On the night of Dumbledore's funeral, the wizard known as Barnabus Grey packed his suitcase. He wasn't entertaining thoughts of escape. The idea of fleeing the country, no matter how tempting, was not feasible. Bitter experience had taught him that no place on earth was safe when the Dark Lord was truly determined to find someone. The last time he had tried to run… But he wouldn't allow himself to think of that. He turned the black grief that that memory had conjured into pity for the Potter boy and his sister, who would almost certainly be the Dark Lord's first targets now that a second war was inevitable.

Barnabus picked up his suitcase and smiled mirthlessly when he realised that all his worldly possessions now fit into such a small container. All of his valuables – treasures of both magical and muggle history, collected painstakingly over decades – had been sent out of the country with his daughter, Clara, the moment the news of Dumbledore's death had reached his ears. He no longer knew where Clara was hiding, having wiped that knowledge from his mind when she sent word that she had arrived safely. By the end of the night he would believe her to be dead.

It is a terrible thing, devising your own child's death, but that was precisely what Barnabus had been doing for the past few days. The only chance for Clara's survival was to convince the Dark Lord that she was dead, and so Barnabus had created a spell that would wipe away his memories of the last three years with his daughter and replace them with a single false one: her death. Creating that memory had been more difficult than Barnabus had anticipated. Would it cause him more pain if she had been taken by an accident or an illness? He had decided on an accident, hoping that the hardest part of the process was over, and then realised that he would have to work out the specific details of her death. Had she fallen off her broom or had she become the victim of a backfiring experiment? Had he been there to witness it or had someone from St Mungo's informed him?

Barnabus ran a shaking hand over his face and ordered himself not to dwell on it. In a few hours he would be able to think of nothing else, and he would remain in the grip of a terrible grief unless, by some miracle, the Dark Lord fell and Clara returned to him. Instead he turned his thoughts to his own fate. The packed suitcase was testament to his strong hope that the Dark Lord would allow him to live. If so, he would take his place in the new world, sliding back into the role he had played in the first war. Once again he would be professor, collector, custodian.

_Murderer. _

The inescapable word rose to the surface of his treacherous mind.

Barnabus sat in an armchair opposite the door, suitcase balanced on his knees, and waited for them to come.


	2. Maintaining Tradition

**AN: **So here's the sequel to _Evie_, sorry about the enormous delay. As some of you know, I haven't had a house for the past couple of months so my internet access has been patchy at best. Now I finally have both a house _and_ the internet, updates should be reasonably regular. Just to remind you, this is set a year after the events of _Evie _at the beginning of Deathly Hallows. Sirius is a free man, having been declared innocent of his supposed crimes in a very public apology from the Ministry, and Evie's true identity as Harry's sister has been revealed to the wizarding world. Feedback would be greatly appreciated, hope you enjoy!

**Maintaining Tradition**

The summer had been unseasonably cold and damp. Instead of gathering outside pubs for cold drinks and companionship, people had been forced indoors, grumbling into their glasses as rain lashed against the windows. On some mornings, in the most unfortunate of places, people had woken to see a thin layer of frost covering the ground, and had returned to the warm cocoon of their beds shivering at the chill in the air as well as the bleakness of their thoughts.

At the end of July, in a small village in the south of England, there was a brief respite. The inhabitants of the village rushed into their gardens to celebrate the sudden, unexpected appearance of the sun with barbecues and games. By the time night fell everyone was so full and exhausted that they collapsed into their beds and slept soundly. Everyone, that is, except a young boy who had set his alarm to wake him up four hours earlier than usual. There was a slice of cake in the fridge that he had been eyeing eagerly for most of the day, and he wanted to get to it before his sister had the chance.

Stomach growling in anticipation, he crept silently down the stairs, freezing every time there was a break in his father's snoring. When he reached the kitchen and firmly shut the door he allowed himself to exhale a lungful of air he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Despite his burning lungs and racing heart, he made his way eagerly to fridge. His hand was on the door when a loud _crack! _drew his gaze to the window, and he saw two women standing in the garden where there had been no one only a second before.

His legs instinctively carried him out of the kitchen, a cry of warning building in his chest. He was halfway up the stairs when two things occurred to him, making him pause. Firstly, waking his parents now would mean having to admit that he was awake and raiding the fridge at an hour when he should have been in bed, something that was sure to result in the loss of sweets for at least a week. Secondly, the women couldn't possibly have just appeared out of thin air, and even if they had no one would believe him. His parents would say that he had been sleepwalking or imagining things, blaming the long day of games and rich food for overexciting him. The boy was already trying to convince himself that the women were a product of a tired mind.

Not wanting to get into trouble, concocting comforting explanations for the impossible thing he had seen, the boy returned to bed and resolved to tell no one of his late night wanderings.

Outside, the two women whispered _"Lumos!" _in unison. They held their wands aloft, sweeping the light that streamed from the tips across the garden floor. They remained silent for several tense moments until, nodding briefly to each other, they seemed satisfied and lowered their wands. At the same moment the boy scrambled with relief back into his bed, the women clambered over the fence that divided the garden from a small field. One of them made a small noise of irritation as her robe snagged and tore on the rough wood, while the other swiftly bent and fumbled awkwardly in the darkness for several long seconds before freeing her companion.

Gripping each other lest they become separated, the women picked their way carefully across the field, wary of any holes or ditches that could bring them crashing to the ground. From their rigidly straight backs and darting eyes, it was clear that a sprained ankle wasn't the worst of their worries. Every time the wind made the branches creak or a fox darted from the undergrowth they jumped and swung their wands in the direction of the disturbance, as if fearful of being followed.

Reaching the far end of the field, the woman who had ripped her robe drew her wand purposefully through the air, leaving a shimmering line in its wake. The air rippled and bent, and from nothingness a large stone door appeared. It gave a rumbling creak, shattering the silence of the field and making the women stare into the darkness fearfully, and opened.

Beyond the doorway was something entirely different to the field that surrounded them. It was a forest, some of its trees clearly centuries old. Although the field was lit only by the ghostly light of the moon, the forest was illuminated by bright balls of light hovering several feet from the leaf strewn ground. The women winced as this light flooded the field and glanced furtively around them before hurrying through the doorway. It closed noiselessly behind them while the village slept on, entirely unaware, with the exception of one small boy, of the impossible thing that had just happened.

Inside the forest, the women huddled together, keeping their heads lowered to watch for roots that might trip them and, although neither of them would acknowledge this, to avoid looking at the trees that pressed in on them from all sides. Through the branches healthy trees, laden with green leaves and fruit, could be glimpsed. Closer to the entrance, however, there was something clearly wrong with them. The fruit they bore rotted on the branches while the black roots were twisted and gnarled, as if they had been blighted with disease. If they were willing to look closely the women could have seen that the trunks were inscribed with softly glowing writing, but nothing could induce them to move closer to the sick or dying trees.

They kept up a punishing pace, never swerving from the dirt path, until finally the older woman stopped, grinned and pointed to a particular tree. Bizarrely, it had vibrant purple leaves. As they moved closer the inscription on the trunk came into focus. It read: _Nymphadora Tonks _and as they approached the letters grew brighter, as if in greeting.

"I should have known your tree wouldn't be normal," said Evie, her lips twitching.

Tonks flashed a grin in response before dropping to her knees before the tree, steadying her grip on the wand that had been slipping against her sweaty palm since their arrival in the village. Glancing fleetingly over her shoulder she said, "Remember, we weren't here. If Remus asks, we-"

"Celebrated your hen night in the traditional fashion," finished Evie. "In fancy dress with a dozen cackling witches. I still don't understand why he would prefer that version of events to the truth."

"This is a family tradition," said Tonks ruefully, sweeping her arm in a wide arc to indicate the forest. "He's afraid one of the more unsavoury relatives will be waiting here in ambush. But there's nothing to worry about. Bellatrix is too mad to remember her own name most of the time and I doubt Narcissa will be sending the Death Eaters after us."

Evie raised her eyebrows, incredulity overcoming the lump of ice that formed in her chest whenever Bellatrix's name was mentioned. "I wouldn't count on familial loyalty if I were you," she cautioned.

Tonks smiled mirthlessly. "I know better than that. Dear aunt Narcissa hasn't planted a tree for Draco. She must have forgotten the place or she doesn't think the family traditions are important enough to bother with. Either way, I think we're safe."

She turned back to the tree and raised her wand purposefully, and Evie took her cue to fall silent. As Tonks worked, Evie found herself idly wondering whether Sirius's tree was still in the forest. In Tonks's family it was traditional to come to this place, guarded from the sight of muggles by a dozen protective spells, and plant a tree to mark the birth of a child. The tree grew as they did, its changes in appearance marking the decisions in that person's life. But Walburga Black, in her attempts to eradicate every trace of her firstborn son from her life, may have destroyed Sirius's tree.

Glancing at Tonks and seeing that she was still absorbed in her work, Evie slipped quietly away to investigate. The newer trees were closer to the entrance, Andromeda having set her daughter's tree further away to avoid contact with her wicked aunt's, and so she began to retrace her steps. She stopped when she came to Sirius's generation and found herself staring at the most twisted, blackened tree in the forest. She didn't need to read the name on the trunk to know who it belonged to. Shuddering with an all too familiar mixture of fear and loathing, she pushed past Bellatrix's tree.

A short way behind it was a tree that seemed out of place. Whereas almost all of the others appeared strong and sturdy, this one was slender, shivering gently in the breeze. It looked as if a single hard gust of wind would snap it in two, but when Evie laid her hand against the bark she sensed a strength that belied its delicate appearance. She ran her hands carefully over the silver trunk, probing for the inscription with her fingertips.

"Evie!" Tonks's voice rang through the air, not quite panicked yet, but clearly worried. Casting a regretful look at the silver tree, Evie turned away and ran through the trees, quickly retracing her steps back to Tonks.

Tonks smiled, clearly relieved, when Evie came back into view. "I thought you'd gotten lost or been kidnapped," she said, trying and failing to inject a note of reproach into her voice. She was usually very slow to anger, and tonight she had a very good reason for being happy. If she was irritated with Evie for disappearing without a word, it wouldn't last for long.

"Sorry," said Evie. "I was trying to find Sirius's tree."

"Any luck?"

"No. How did things go for you? Have you done it?"

Tonks's grin widened as she pointed at the tree. Beneath the inscription of her name, _Remus Lupin_ has been carved painstakingly into the wood.

"Very good," said Evie approvingly. "You should show it to him when he'd be less angry with you for wandering the country at night."

"That could be a very long time in coming," said Tonks, her smile faltering. The wizarding world had been disconcertingly quiet since Dumbledore's death. With the exception of the disappearance of Charity Burbbage, a teacher at Hogwarts, there had been a sharp drop in the number of unexplained disappearances and sudden deaths. This was no comfort to the Order. If anything, everyone was more on edge. They all knew that Voldemort would strike before long; it was just a matter of time. In the mean time they were left to wonder who or what he would target, and lead lives shadowed by fear.

Tonks shook her head, as if trying to dispel the melancholy that had settled on them. When she smiled again it lacked its former brightness. "Let's hope it's sooner rather than later," she said softly. Rising to her feet, she brushed off the dirt and twigs that clung to her robes and said, "We better leave. It can't be long before dawn."

Walking shoulder to shoulder, they quickly made their way back to the doorway. Despite the fact that this place was well known to their enemies, it had seemed safe, or at least safer than the exposed field. Even though they had not said his name, the thought of Voldemort had dispelled any feelings of comfort or sanctuary from the magically shielded forest, and they didn't want to linger there a moment longer than necessary.

When they went through the doorway into the field, the sky was already beginning to lighten. Drawing out her dented and scorched pocket watch, Tonks let out a strangled cry of shock. "We're going to be late!" she said, and without further words grabbed Evie's hand. They turned together into suffocating darkness and Evie found herself wishing that she had braved a broomstick, although in these dark times to fly at night was to risk one's life. This was particularly true for Order members, and doubly so for those bearing the name "Potter".

The pressure constricting Evie's lungs eased and the darkness veiling her eyes lifted. To her surprise, they had arrived not at Tonks's small home atop Willow Hill, but somewhere entirely different. She had little time to gather her senses before Tonks began dragging her towards the unfamiliar house, muttering under her breath. A figure waited for them at the gate, their features almost indistinguishable in the eerie pre dawn light. As they drew closer Evie saw dark eyes glittering in the gloom, and she choked on fear because those were _Bellatrix's _eyes penetrating her, _Bellatrix's_ eyes smouldering with hatred. The cool voice of logic told her that Tonks would never endanger her by bringing her to that evil woman, but it was drowned out by a shrill, panicked voice urging her to run, to save herself, and another ordering her to pounce, to deal to Bellatrix blow by blow every ounce of pain she had caused her.

It was only when Tonks rushed forwards to hug the woman that Evie understood who she was. The woman's eyes softened as she returned the embrace, and Evie saw in her face features that reminded her strongly of Tonks. This had to be Andromeda Tonks, Tonks's mother and Bellatrix Lestrange's sister.

"Mum, this is Evie," said Tonks, releasing Andromeda.

Andromeda spared Evie a tight smile before returning her gaze to her daughter and asking, "Is it done?"

Tonks nodded. "And we didn't run into any trouble."

"Good, I can tell your father to stop worrying. We better hurry," said Andromeda, taking Tonks by the arm and leading her up the path to the house. "There's a lot to do in very little time."

Evie followed the pair into the house. There was something about Andromeda that unsettled her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. As Andromeda had said, they had an awful lot to do and Evie would need to concentrate fully on Tonks if she wanted to help her prepare for her wedding. It wasn't until much later that Evie realised that although she had imagined that Bellatrix was waiting in the darkness for them, the hatred in Andromeda's eyes had been real.


	3. Reservations

**Reservations**

"I can't go through with this."

Remus lifted his head from the table and met Sirius's eyes. Looking down at his oldest friend, Sirius saw the stress of the last few weeks written in the lines on his face. The death of Dumbledore, not just the head of their Order and their best hope of defeating Voldemort, but the man who had given him his first and greatest chance in life, had taken a heavy toll on him, and there had been little time to grieve. They had been back in action hours after his death, reinforcing the defensive spells around Grimmauld Place and setting in motion pre existing plans to protect Harry after he had left the sanctuary of Hogwarts.

Tonks had been wonderful for Remus at first. They had comforted each other as best they could, and there was no doubt in Sirius's mind that Remus would have slipped into a deep depression if not for her. But guilt was an undeniable part of Remus's nature, and it had taken him no more than a couple of days to begin to question their relationship all over again. Last night, watching the shadows in Remus's eyes darken as the steady march of hours brought them closer to dawn, Sirius had known that he would try to convince himself that he couldn't marry Tonks.

"I can't go through with this," Remus repeated, a note of desperation entering his voice. "To marry Tonks would be to destroy her life. She would be an exile from society, from her family!"

"You're entering a family of exiles," countered Sirius. "Andromeda was cut off from her family when she married Ted, and you know what happened when I refused to bow to my parents' pure blood dogma. Ted's a muggle born and Tonks is a member of the Order, and with the way things stand at the moment life is going to get very difficult for them soon."

"All the more reason for me to stay away from her!" cried Remus. "If Voldemort is targeting her now, can you imagine the ferocity with which she would be hunted if she married a werewolf?"

"Would you tell Ted to leave Andromeda because he's muggle born?" demanded Sirius.

"No, but-"

"Would you tell Evie to leave me because she's a Potter?"

"That's an entirely different situation!"

"I don't see how," said Sirius calmly. "You can't help being a werewolf any more than Ted can help being a muggle born or Evie can help being a Potter. Besides," he continued, "Tonks is a member of the Order. Do you think she joined up without knowing the dangers she faced?"

Remus glowered at him. "Those dangers did _not _include marrying a werewolf."

"But it means she accepts danger as a fact of life and knows the risk she takes every time she agrees to a mission. Even if being your wife would put her life in more danger than it already is, she's clearly decided that the benefits outweigh the risks." He paused for a second before continuing in a quieter voice. "If Voldemort comes to power, Evie will be the second most hunted person in the country. I'd be furious with her if she ever thought of leaving to protect me. It's worth the added risk to keep her in my life."

"Even if that's true for Tonks," said Remus, burying his face in his hands, "she still deserves someone better than me. I'm old and poor and-"

"I'm inclined to agree," interrupted Sirius. "Why Tonks fell for a miserable git like you is a mystery, but she's made up her mind and she wouldn't appreciate you questioning her decision."

Remus's head snapped up. The two men glared at each other in silence for several long moments, and Sirius wondered whether he had crossed a line and was about to receive a fist in his face for his troubles. Then the hard, angry line of Remus's mouth began to tremble, and a chuckle escaped his throat. Sirius found himself smiling in return, then chuckling, then laughing until his sides hurt. Neither of them could remember precisely what had sparked their sudden hysterics, but as it seemed like weeks since they had last laughed, and both knew that reasons to smile would be few and far between in the near future, they didn't question it.

"Thank you," said Remus when he had finally regained enough breath to speak.

"I'm not sure what I did, but you're welcome." Sirius pulled back the flap of the tent, which had been erected because of Andromeda's insistence that Remus and Tonks would not sleep under the same roof on the eve of their wedding, and peered into the garden. A few chairs had been arrayed on the grass, all pointing towards a white arch bedecked with flowers and ribbons. The officiator, an eager but trustworthy young man from the Ministry, chatted to a small, nervous looking woman: Remus's mother. Apart from himself, Evie and Tonks's parents, she was the only guest. With only a few days until Harry was due to be removed from the Dursleys' no one from the Order could spare time to attend a wedding, and neither Tonks nor Remus was fond of elaborate celebrations.

"I think Tonks should be coming out soon," said Sirius. "Are you ready?"

Remus took a steadying gulp of air and rose to his feet. Wordlessly he nodded at Sirius and left the tent. Outside Andromeda was hurrying down the aisle between the chairs, hastily setting a hat on her head as she walked. "Ready, you two?" she asked, and when they nodded added, "You look very handsome, Remus."

"Thank you, Andromeda," mumbled Remus.

"It's mum now," she corrected him, smiling gently. She turned her gaze to Sirius and her expression became teasing. "You don't look too bad either. Shame about the nose."

"And you look beautiful, cousin, except for the meringue on your head," returned Sirius.

Andromeda tried to hide a smile and turned back to the house. Sirius liked the gentle teasing between them, reminiscent of the conversations of their youth. He had never expected to be accepted by a member of his family again, but an hour after the Ministry had cleared his name Andromeda had arrived on the doorstep of Grimmauld Place, torn between tears and laughter. Thanks to work for the Order and his new job at the Ministry they hadn't seen each other in the months since, but they had written a constant stream of letters.

Andromeda reappeared after a couple of minutes and took her seat, pointing her wand at a violin lying near the arch. The instrument rose into the air and began to play itself. What issued from the strings was not the traditional wedding march, but the tune to the latest song by the Weird Sisters. Sirius smiled: trust Tonks.

The door of the house opened and Evie stepped out. As maid of honour she wore a simple but beautiful dress, the style of which wouldn't have looked out of place in a medieval portrait. Her hair had been allowed to fall freely down her back and someone, Tonks or Andromeda, had placed a circlet of daisies upon her head. As she drew closer she smiled almost shyly at him, and Sirius found himself wishing that they were somewhere private, where it wouldn't be incredibly inappropriate to kiss her.

Eyes fixed on Evie, Sirius didn't notice who was escorting her down the aisle until they had stopped almost in front of him. He had to suppress a sudden urge to laugh. It was Mad Eye, dressed in what Sirius presumed was his best and looking very uncomfortable. Having assumed command of the Order since Dumbledore's death, Mad Eye had barely had time to sleep, let alone attend weddings. But Tonks had been his protégée at the Ministry and the two had a close relationship, even if they didn't always show it. Sirius should have known that he would find a way to be here for her.

Mad Eye took a seat next to Remus's mother while Evie stood opposite Sirius. The doors opened again as the music increased pace, and this time Tonks emerged, escorted by her father. Her dress was in the same style as Evie's but white and with pearls sewn into the cuffs, and her hair was an almost eye watering shade of pink, brighter than Sirius had ever seen it before. It was difficult for Sirius to look at Tonks and see anything other than the gawky child who had hero worshipped him, but today, seeing the happiness and determination that shone from her eyes, he realised just how much she had grown in his absence, and was more certain than ever that she was far more aware of what this marriage entailed than Remus knew. She practically danced down the aisle.

Ted passed his daughter's hand happily into Remus's, and Sirius hoped that Remus had marked that. No shadow of doubt had passed over Ted's face, no flicker of fear in his eyes. Clearly he and Andromeda weren't as opposed to the marriage as Remus seemed to believe. For the moment, smiling down at Tonks, Remus's doubt seemed to have dissolved. Sirius hoped that this new certainty would last more than a day or two, but his heart told him that it would not. At school Remus had always been the voice of conscience, and the intervening years had only increased his seriousness and the self doubt that constantly plagued him.

The ceremony was short and simple, just as the couple had requested. The officiator stumbled a couple of times and blushed a deep red when Tonks kissed her new husband a little too enthusiastically, but apart from that they were married without mishap. When Tonks finally released Remus, Mad Eye was waiting to enfold her in an awkward but heartfelt hug. Remus tactfully departed to speak to his mother, who was still dabbing her eyes with the corner of a handkerchief.

"This is the way, Tonks," said Mad Eye quietly. "Plan for the future, show them that you're not going to let them stop you living your life."

"Mad Eye!" said Tonks, drawing back in surprise. "That was actually optimistic."

Sirius stepped away. He didn't want to intrude on this conversation and Evie was waiting for him, an invitation in her eyes. Going to her, he drew her away from the small crowd of people and kissed her soundly. Behind him he heard Ted's deep throated laughter and guessed that he was the source of his amusement, but ignored him and didn't loosen his embrace on Evie until both of them were a little breathless. "You look beautiful," he said, pulling away just enough to look at her.

Her lips quirked upwards in amusement. "I gathered from your greeting. But it's nice to hear it."

"I'm not sure I approve of these, though," he said, and brushed his fingertip over the dark circles beneath her eyes. "What exactly did you and Tonks get up to last night?"

"The usual hen night stuff," she said smoothly. "Lots of giggling with some of Tonks's friends from the Ministry."

Sirius narrowed his eyes suspiciously. She had spoken much more slowly than usual, as if repeating a speech that had been memorised. This was clearly a version of the previous night that she and Tonks had concocted and practiced together. Evie smiled at him serenely, not at all concerned about his sceptical silence. He would have liked to question her more, but at that moment Andromeda appeared at her side. "I need to borrow Evie for a moment," she said. "I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?"

"Nothing that we can't continue later," he said, more to Evie than to Andromeda, and her slight frown told him that she realised he knew she wasn't telling him the whole truth.

He was only alone for a few seconds before Remus waylaid him. Sirius was glad to see that his friend was smiling, and that the warmth of it touched his eyes. "Tonks still talking to Mad Eye?" he asked.

"No, he had to leave. We're going in a minute, but first I…" Remus lowered his voice to a whisper. "I just wanted to say thank you. For earlier. If you hadn't-"

Sirius interrupted him with a raised hand. "You would have come to your senses on your own, given time."

Remus smiled sadly. "I'd like to think so." He sighed, making a visual effort to push away his self doubt. When he raised his eyes to meet Sirius's he was smiling again, but this time it was half hearted. "We're leaving now. We're both back on duty tomorrow morning so we need to make the most of the honeymoon."

"Wait, I'll get Evie. She'll want to say goodbye." Sirius turned and spotted Andromeda and Evie, but something about them made him pause. Andromeda was smiling pleasantly but Evie looked as if she had been slapped. Something was very out of place, but before he could take so much as a step forwards Tonks had appeared next to the two women. Evie hastily fixed a smile onto her face. The three spoke briefly before Andromeda hugged her daughter and Tonks linked her arm through Evie's, heading back to where Sirius and Remus still stood.

"Thanks for getting Remus to the altar," said Tonks jokingly when she reached them, but Sirius winced at the truth of her words.

"Couldn't keep him away," he said, and hoped that she hadn't noticed the slight tremor in his voice. His fear was alleviated when Tonks beamed at her new husband and slipped her hand into his.

"We'll see you two tomorrow," she said. "Thank you for being part of the day, and good luck, Evie!" With that, they turned on the spot and disappeared.

"Good luck? What does that…?" Evie's eyes widened. "My results!" she cried. "I'd completely forgotten."

After the battle at the Department of Mysteries, Evie had decided that she wanted to join the Ministry, and the Aurors in particular. She had no wish to specialise in combat, having no talent for that brand of magic, but attached to the Aurors was a department that dealt in poisons and antidotes. Before she could even consider joining them, however, she needed to obtain her NEWTs. After spending almost a year studying, Evie had sat her exams at Hogwarts a few weeks before.

"We need to get home," she said, and grabbed Sirius's hand. She turned on the spot and he was forced to turn with her, entering the uncertain darkness of Apparition. When they arrived at their destination he heard the now familiar roaring of the sea in his ears, and before him stood a large, whitewashed house: _their_ house.

Sirius still smiled every time he arrived at his front door. It was as opposite to Grimmauld Place as it was possible to be. No shadowy corners filled with dark and dangerous artefacts, just light and treasured possessions. No rooms haunted with the memories of his childhood, but the opportunity to make new memories with Evie. Best of all was the knowledge that he could leave it at any time of the day or night without fear.

No sooner had they stepped through the door than a small blur launched itself at Evie. She smiled and bent down to return Winky's hug while Sirius rolled his eyes. He had been extremely reluctant to employ the house elf at first after Kreacher had almost cost him his life, but Dumbledore had persuaded him. Winky's life at Hogwarts had been a desperately unhappy one, having been shunned by the other house elves for her behaviour. But under Evie's care she had improved immensely and now she seemed to be happy, although some times they heard her crying over the master who had betrayed her so horribly.

"Was the wedding nice, Miss Potter?" asked Winky.

"I'll tell you all about it later," promised Evie. "But first I need to know if any owls arrived for me while I was gone."

"There was one, Miss," said Winky, and hurried off to get it while Evie turned a pale shade of green.

Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist. "Relax," he ordered. "I know you've passed everything with flying colours."

"I know I failed the Defence Against the Dark Arts practical, it was…" she trailed off as Winky returned with a brown envelope. She took it from the house elf with shaking hands and ran her fingers over the Hogwarts seal. She tore open the envelope in the manner of one ripping off a plaster, and quickly unfurled the letter inside. Her body tensed against Sirius's.

"Evie?" he asked hesitantly.

"I did it!" she whispered. "I passed everything!"

Winky cheered and announced that she had been hiding a bottle of champagne for the occasion. Sirius watched Evie follow her, laughing, to the kitchen, and smiled at her happiness. There had been a time, a few months ago, when he had thought that she would never smile again. He decided to ask her about her night with Tonks and the conversation with Andromeda tomorrow. He wouldn't spoil her day.


	4. An Unwanted Reunion

**AN: **Some of the speech taken from chapter four of _Deathly Hallows. _Thanks for reading and reviewing, hope you like the chapter!

**An Unwanted Reunion**

In these dark days even visiting a relative had its own set of unique dangers. People shunned weddings and birthday parties; there was always a possibility that a large crowd contained one or two supporters of Voldemort, and after a few drinks had loosened the tongue a single careless word could prove fatal. Better to stay at home with people who could be trusted. At the moment people still spoke freely in front of their parents, spouses and children, but in the weeks and months to come that would change. The _Imperius _curse and polyjuice potion would prove popular in the coming war.

Evie and Sirius had taken all possible precautions. Polyjuice potion was out of the question for Evie as she would be drinking a draught later and two different doses at work in the same body could have strange consequences. She had dyed her hair a vivid shade of red and donned a pair of glasses similar to her brother's. Out of solidarity (or, as Evie preferred to call it, stupidity) Sirius had eschewed the potion and dyed his hair blonde, completing the disguise with a matching beard and moustache. They had travelled inconspicuously, using muggle transport and wearing muggle clothes.

Despite these safety measures, Evie gripped Sirius's hand a little too tightly and his eyes darted constantly to and fro. They turned into Privet Drive and felt immediately that they were being watched. Thankfully it wasn't a Death Eater who had them in his sights but an old woman peering out of the gap between her net curtains. Her eyes widened as Evie turned to stare at her and she withdrew, twitching the curtain back into place. The couple walked quickly up the path to Number 4, Evie torn between a desire to stand forever on the doorstep and the need to enter the relative safety of the house.

A woman yanked the front door open before they had the chance to knock. Evie's first glimpse of her brought to mind an image of a string that had been drawn too tight and could snap at any moment. Her mouth was set in a tight line of disapproval, and Evie wondered if it ever lifted into a genuine smile rather than just one of the polite, empty gestures she almost certainly shared with her neighbours. As the woman's eyes fell on Evie, however, her face contorted in its first uncontrolled display of emotion for months. There was undoubtedly fear in the way her eyes flew wide open, but also something that was less easily defined.

"_Lily?" _she whispered.

There were footsteps on the stairs and Harry appeared behind the woman. He was paler than usual, making the dark circles beneath his eyes all the more evident, but when he saw Evie and Sirius he grinned. "You two are early," he said by way of greeting. "I'm surprised Mad Eye agreed to this."

Sirius laughed. "He took a lot of convincing."

He wasn't exaggerating. When they had first put their request to arrive at the Dursleys' before everyone else to Mad Eye he had refused outright. After a long hour of arguing and bartering he had finally agreed, although he had imposed many conditions on their trip. On no condition were they to answer to their real names, leave the house undisguised, travel by Floo. The list was endless.

"This is Sirius, my godfather, and Evie, my sister," said Harry to the woman standing in the doorway, still looking as if she had seen a ghost. She flinched when introduced to Sirius and her eyes hardened at Evie's name. To Sirius and Evie Harry said, "This is my aunt, Petunia Dursley."

Realisation dawned in Evie's mind. This woman was Lily Potter's sister; her aunt. Now she understood why Petunia had looked so terrified when she set eyes on her. Evie knew from photographs and the comments of old friends that she bore a strong resemblance to her mother, and today, with her newly dyed hair, that resemblance was especially striking. Having not seen her niece since she was a baby, Petunia must have thought that Lily had somehow returned from the grave to visit her. Instead of sympathy, Evie felt a kind of grim satisfaction. If Lily _had_ returned from the dead, she would certainly not seek out her sister to share kind words with her. More likely she would want to know why Petunia had treated her son so cruelly.

Petunia's lips twitched in a semblance of a smile and she disappeared into the living as Harry ushered Sirius and Evie inside. The moment the door was shut Evie hugged her brother and Sirius was waiting to take her place when she stepped back.

"All ready?" asked Sirius.

"Almost," said Harry. "Just need to finish packing."

"You go and finish. We'll follow you up in a minute," said Sirius. When Harry looked at him quizzically he explained, "I just want a word with your aunt and uncle."

Harry didn't need to be told what this "word" would be about. "You don't have to do that. After tonight I'll probably never see them again."

"He's been planning his speech for weeks," said Evie, smiling. "Don't deny him the opportunity."

Harry still looked as if he thought it was a bad idea, but couldn't hide a grin at Sirius's eagerness. Shrugging, he obeyed his godfather and slowly climbed the stairs to resume packing. Evie wondered whether his reluctance was due to concern for his aunt and uncle or a wish to witness what Sirius had to say for himself. She guessed it was the latter.

Sirius barged into the living room, followed by Evie, and Petunia gave a small, scared squeak.

"Who the ruddy hell are you?" demanded a large, red faced man.

"Vernon-" said Petunia fearfully.

"I'm Sirius Black," interrupted Sirius, and the large man, Vernon, paled; clearly the name was familiar to him. "I've wanted to talk to you for a long time, but various unfortunate circumstances have prevented me."

"And what would _your_ kind have to talk to me about?" sneered Vernon with false bravado.

"How you've treated my godson for the past sixteen years."

"We gave him a home!" spluttered Vernon. "We took him in for nothing out of kindness and decency!"

"You gave him a cupboard and your son's leftovers," corrected Sirius, his voice icy. "And you did it grudgingly, because you didn't have a choice. If the situation had been reversed, if something had happened to you and your son was orphaned, do you think Lily and James would have treated him as you have treated Harry?"

"I'd rather see Dudley dead than in the hands of one of your lot!" shouted Vernon.

A movement glimpsed out of the corner of Evie's eye caught her attention. A large boy stuffed into an armchair, who she assumed was Dudley, flushed a deep shade of red. When he realised he was being watched he dropped his eyes to stare at the floor.

"You might want to rethink that," said Sirius. His voice was calm, which worried Evie. She knew the anger that was steadily rising just beneath the surface. "You're about to trust your family's safety to _our lot_."

"Aha, and who's fault is that?" demanded Vernon. "The boy's! If we hadn't taken him in we wouldn't be in danger now! Do you have any idea the kind of disruption this is causing to our lives? I'm going to miss work; Dudder's is going to miss school, we-"

Evie couldn't take it anymore. She had just about been able to cope with their flimsy justifications for their atrocious treatment of Harry, but this was intolerable. Vernon was complaining about minor inconveniences when Harry's life would be at risk every day from now until Voldemort was defeated. He could be hiding and fighting for years, always scared that the next dawn would hail the day of his capture and death. Didn't these people realise?

"Imagine a man who's supremely evil," said Evie quietly. Perhaps it was the shock of being interrupted or the utter strangeness of the statement, but Vernon fell silent and turned to stare at her, his mouth hanging open. She felt the eyes of all three Dursleys and Sirius on her. "I say man, but strictly speaking that's not true," she continued. "He's barely human anymore. He kills anyone who gets in his way or offends him, including children. He tortures, too. And he has dozens of people in his service who do the same for _fun_." She paused briefly, feeling the prickle of tears. Sirius's hand alighted on the small of her back protectively, supportively.

Taking a breath, she continued. "He tears families apart. Children are left to grow up without parents, and parents…" Bellatrix's face swam before her eyes, gloating in victory. It was replaced with Sirius's, wracked with grief and exhausted after another sleepless night. Then Molly Weasley's as she pulled Evie into a sobbing embrace, offering her wordless comfort. "Parents are forced to bury their daughters and sons," she finished, her voice small and broken.

"This man first tried to kill Harry when he was a baby. Harry has faced him four times since, in various forms, and survived against all odds. The fight against Voldemort has cost him his parents, a friend and his mentor. He's been persecuted and tortured. Now every witch and wizard in the country is looking to him to stop Voldemort for good. And he accepts this as his task without doubt or protest. He will go, almost alone, to find a way to end Voldemort once and for all, despite the fact that many wizards with twice his age and experience have died trying to do the same.

"When you're in a safe house, surrounded by highly trained wizards, Harry will be relying on his own wit and skill for survival. While you're living comfortably, he won't be able to walk into any building where wizards reside without risking his life."

Evie's words, filled with a heart aching mixture of grief and pride, seemed to have struck a chord with Petunia that Sirius's anger had not. She stood facing the window, her arms crossed and head bowed. There was something in her face that was more than fear for her husband and son, although that was certainly evident. Dudley's face had drained of all colour and Evie privately thought that it was a very good job that he was sitting down, or he would probably fall. Clearly he was realising the reality of the monster that would be hunting them for the first time.

Vernon, however, had been growing steadily angrier since Evie began speaking. His face was now a shade of red that Evie had never seen on a person before. He spluttered a few times, apparently incapable of forming a coherent sentence, before finally managing to spit out, "Who are _you_?"

"I'm Harry's sister," she said, her voice full of love for her brother. "And unlike you, I'm proud to call myself his family."

With that, she turned on her heel and left the room. Sirius took her hand and squeezed it gently as they climbed the stairs. "I couldn't have put it better," he murmured.

They found Harry on his knees in the middle of his room, attempting unsuccessfully to force his rucksack shut. He looked up anxiously as they entered. "How did it go?" he asked. "I heard Uncle Vernon shouting."

"Surprisingly well," said Sirius, and flopped onto Harry's bed.

They spent the next hour talking, and to everyone's surprise and relief it didn't feel too strange. The summer after the battle at the Department of Mysteries had been uncomfortable, to say the least. Harry had been forced to reconcile his anger and sense of betrayal with his sister and godfather's grief at the loss of their unborn child. Many times last year he had wanted to rage at them, but the sight of Evie's swollen eyes had stopped him. There were times when the sight of their hands entwined or Sirius's lips resting against Evie's hair sent a jolt of anger through Harry, but as the weeks passed and he realised they had no intention of pushing him out of their lives he steadily regained his trust in them.

Evie and Sirius had seen little of Harry since last September, and the last time they had spoken had been at Dumbledore's funeral. They wanted to know every small, inconsequential detail of his sixth year at Hogwarts. They didn't speak of Malfoy and Snape's betrayal, nor of the murder that none of them could quite believe had happened. Neither did they speak of the monumental task that lay before Harry. Instead he told them of Ron's performance as Keeper and his short lived relationship with Ginny, and in return they described their new house and Winky's life there.

They had almost forgotten their danger when the doorbell rang.

Harry reluctantly got to his feet. "That'll be Hestia and Dedalus," he said heavily. "Better get to them before the Dursleys do." He left the room, taking with him his rucksack and owl.

Sirius and Evie remained behind, transforming their hair and faces back to their usual state. By the time they had finished and followed Harry downstairs, the Dursleys (much to Evie's relief) were gone and the kitchen was full of people. Evie was hugged by Hermione and greeted warmly by Fred and George before Mad Eye called for order, and she and Sirius took their places next to Tonks and Remus.

With the exception of the occasional question from Harry, everyone was silent as they listened to Mad Eye explain the plan. It was all going very well until Mad Eye reached the part about seven of them taking polyjuice potion to transform into Harry.

"No!" he almost shouted. "No way!"

"I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione, and Evie nodded her agreement. There was no way Harry would let them risk their lives like this without putting up a very good fight first.

The argument went back and forth for a couple of minutes between Harry and the rest of the group, with Harry blankly refusing to entertain the idea and everyone else insisting that they were willing to take the risk. Eventually Mad Eye said, "If it has to come to force, then it will. Everyone here's over-age, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk."

Harry attempted one last protest before Mad Eye shouted him down, and he grudgingly tore out and handed over a few hairs. The hairs added to the potion, the fake Potters – including Evie – lined up to drink their share. The effect was almost instantaneous. Evie knew that she was gaining several inches of height while her hair shortened. She would have liked to look in a mirror, but she doubted that she would be able to see much with Harry's atrocious eye sight.

Thankfully someone thrust a pair of glasses into her hands and she eagerly put them on. When her vision cleared she found that she was looking at a room full of Harry Potters.

"Wow – we're identical!" cried Fred and George in unison, eliciting a chuckle from one of the other Potters.

There was little time to appreciate the hilarity of the situation before Mad Eye tossed them new clothes and ordered them to change. Everyone began to strip off without embarrassment, which, unsurprisingly, seemed to distress Harry. They were to be indistinguishable from each other to confuse the enemy. The only unique thing that Evie had was a small vial filled with a black, hissing liquid. She had no intention of using it as it would give away that she was not the real Harry, but she wanted it close by in case of an emergency. Once she was dressed she kept it clutched tightly in her left hand. When they were all dressed identically they were marched by Mad Eye out into the garden where their transport awaited.

Evie and Sirius were to ride Buckbeak. There was no need to bow to him as they had grown used to each other during their long stay at Grimmauld Place, and he was as fond of them as any imperious creature could be. Sirius cupped his hand and gave Evie a boost onto the hippogriff's back. Unaccustomed to her new height and shape, she misjudged the force required for the jump and would have launched herself straight over Buckbeak's back to the grass on the other side had Sirius not grabbed her ankle. Blushing, she scrambled into a sitting position while Sirius vaulted almost effortlessly into place behind her, flashing her a winning smile. She scowled and nudged him in the ribs with her elbow.

Looking around, she saw that each Harry Potter, accompanied by their protector, was mounted on their broom or threstral and ready to leave. The real Harry was crammed into the sidecar of what Sirius whispered to her was his motorbike.

"Ready?" shouted Mad Eye, and everyone nodded and prepared to take off. "Good luck, everyone. See you all in about an hour at The Burrow. On the count of three. One… two… THREE."

Sirius tapped Buckbeak's sides with his heels and they soared into the sky. All around them brooms and thestrals were surging upwards. There was a pleasant swooping in Evie's stomach as the hippogriff accelerated, and for a moment she almost forgot their danger and was simply happy to be with so many of her friends.

And then all hell broke loose.

The sky was suddenly full of dark cloaked figures swooping purposefully towards them from all directions. Sirius cursed under his breath and wheeled Buckbeak around, urging him away from the Death Eaters as the other Potters and their defenders did the same. Essentially this didn't change their plans: they were to make for different safe houses across the country and from there travel to The Burrow. But their danger had now increased a hundredfold by the inevitability of a mid air battle. Evie's logical voice, the part of her mind that wasn't completely overcome by fear, noted the implications of the Death Eaters' attack. Someone must have informed them of the date they were moving Harry, and the only people with access to that information were Order members: they had been betrayed.

Sirius's voice broke through the haze of panic clouding her mind. He was shouting at her, ordering her to use her wand. Glancing over his shoulder, she saw that they were being pursued by two Death Eaters. At the moment they were out of firing range but Buckbeak was no match for their brooms and the gap between them was closing quickly. Evie groped for her wand, fumbling it with her cold fingers, and cast a defensive spell around the two of them while Sirius turned and prepared to begin firing spells.

With the Death Eaters mere feet behind them, Sirius began to duel, gripping Buckbeak with his legs while his wand slashed through the air. From her position at the hippogriff's head Evie could see almost nothing, but the shield surrounding them flickered and died almost immediately. A jet of purple light shot past before she could renew the charm and would have hit her had Sirius not thrown himself backwards, knocking her flat onto her stomach. She struggled back into a sitting position and cast another shield charm, putting all her will into making it as strong as possible.

Behind her Sirius continued to duel. Although Evie didn't dare risk turning to watch the fight lest she lose her balance, she could feel the rapid motions of his wand arm. The controlled movement of his body against hers did not suggest the frantic reactions of a cornered animal, but a skilled fighter in his element. Despite their situation, or perhaps because of it, he was unusually cool and calm. Evie, casting one shield charm after another as the Death Eaters' curses continued to break through, took heart from this.

A muffled cry reached Evie's ears over the wind, and there was a subtle change in Sirius's position on Buckbeak. She panicked, thinking that he had been hit and was about to tumble off the hippogriff to the hard earth below, but when she reached to grab him she realised that he was still duelling. He was now focusing all of his efforts on one fixed point. The shout of pain she had heard had belonged to a Death Eater, and now Sirius had only one opponent.

Without warning Buckbeak jerked violently, almost unseating them. "What's going on?" shouted Sirius over his shoulder. "Is Buckbeak hurt?"

Evie didn't have time to find out. A Death Eater had somehow managed to slip unnoticed ahead of them and was now flying straight towards them, lying almost flat against his broom and grinning in anticipation. Sirius couldn't possibly fight in two directions and Evie's shield charm would be useless should the Death Eater fire a killing curse. Raising her wand, she shouted the one spell that had any hope of saving them. Thick black fog streamed from the tip and shot with unnatural speed towards the Death Eater. Prepared to fend off a more violent attack, he was caught unaware and engulfed. Buckbeak completed the job, smoothly changing course to fly over the Death Eater and raking his vicious front claws through the top of the dark cloud. A shout of pain told Evie that the hippogriff had hit his mark, and the fog spiralled down to earth.

Carefully Sirius turned to face the front again. "Are you hurt?" he called over the rushing of the wind.

Evie shook her head. "Are you?"

"Just a scratch. You know what this ambush means, don't you? We planted false information in the Ministry; the only people who knew we were moving Harry tonight were those who were at Mad Eye's meetings."

"You think we've been betrayed?"

"I can't think of anyone in the Order who would sell Harry to Voldemort, but what other-" Sirius finished abruptly and sagged against Evie. He fell forwards, pushing her flat onto her stomach and forcing her wand arm between her body and Buckbeak. Her first thought was that he had been injured more gravely than he had told her, but a patch of sky to her left shimmered and a Death Eater came into view; he had been Disillusioned.

She couldn't curse him without yanking her wand from beneath her, which would almost certainly unbalance Sirius and unseat him from Buckbeak. Her left arm, however, was still free, and miraculously she still clutched the potion vial in her frozen fingers. If she could throw it at the Death Eater it would be as good as hitting him with a powerful curse, but it was their only chance and he was too far away to be sure of hitting him.

Thinking fast she whispered, "Slow down, Buckbeak."

Buckbeak snorted but did as he was commanded. The Death Eater now flew side by side with them, but was still out of arm's reach.

"Don't hurt Sirius!" she called to him. "Don't hurt him and I'll come with you to Voldemort."

Now that they had slowed considerably she heard his laughter clearly. "You're in no position to negotiate," he said. "I could kill you both right now."

"But Voldemort wants to do it himself, doesn't he?" asked Evie. The Death Eater paused, considering. He knew as well as she did that the servant who brought Harry Potter to Voldemort in chains would be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams. "Let Sirius go and I'll give you my wand," she said.

"No funny business," he warned. "If I see your wand move I'll kill you and Black."

He moved closer to them and Evie held her breath. In just a few seconds he would be in reach and she would have to act. When he drew up alongside them his hood fell back, revealing a scarred face that was alight with excitement, and Evie lashed out. The phial flew out of her fingers and smashed against his cheek, small shards of glass clinging to his skin. Rage flashed in his eyes as he drew back his wand. Evie screwed up her eyes, waiting for death, but instead an agonised scream rent the air. Opening her eyes a crack, she saw that the skin on one side of the man's face was bubbling. He clawed at his cheek as if hoping to find and tear away the source of his pain, but succeeded only in smearing some of the deadly potion onto his fingers. Somehow he had enough presence of mind to grab his broom and fly back in the direction of the Dursleys' house, where lay his only hope of help.

Evie watched him disappear. Now that she was no longer fuelled by a desperate fight for survival she began to shudder violently. She was trapped beneath Sirius who, at the very least, was unconscious, her wand was inaccessible and they were still miles away from their safe house. They had long ago left behind the noises of the main battle. Had her friends escaped or were they dead? In a few moments more, when the reality of her situation finally sank in, she would fall apart.

But the moment her breath became ragged in her chest, they hit solid ground. Buckbeak, whether out of fear or instinct, had brought them down to earth. Thanking the animal repeatedly, Evie grabbed Sirius's arm and fell sideways to the ground, bringing him with her. She noticed that they were in a deserted field, out of sight of muggles and Death Eaters alike, but her relief was short lived as she pressed her hand against Sirius's back. His shirt was torn and when she pulled her fingers away they were covered in something warm and sticky.

With a great effort she rolled Sirius onto his stomach. Holding up her wand for light, she saw that there were three deep gashes in his back, as if an animal had swiped at him with its' enormous claws. Tearing open his shirt, she wished that she had just a few simple ingredients with her; she could create a potion that would heal him completely. But she hadn't a single plant or essence, and time was just as scarce. Instead she used her wand and worked as quickly as she dared, fearing both that she would hurt him more in her haste and that more Death Eaters would swoop down on them at any moment.

By the time she had finished she had resumed her normal appearance, and her long hair stuck to her face in sweaty clumps. The wounds had closed but Sirius was left with three angry red scars. Perhaps she could find a way to heal them later, but for now all Evie cared about was getting to safety. Panting, she rolled Sirius carefully onto his back and pointed her wand at his face. _"Ennervate!" _she murmured.

Sirius's eyes flew open. "Where are we? Are we at the safe house?" he demanded, sitting up and wincing.

"Careful!" warned Evie. "A Death Eater snuck up on us and you were injured and knocked out. Buckbeak brought us down here – wherever here is."

"Are you okay?" asked Sirius, pushing her hair away so that he could search her face for signs of pain or injury.

Evie gave him a shaky smile. "I'm terrified and feel like I could sleep for a week, but apart from that I'm fine."

"We need to get out of here," he said. Struggling to his feet, he looked around for Buckbeak. The field was flat and unobscured by trees, but there was no sign of the hippogriff. After a minute of calling his name with no response, they decided that he must have left while Evie was healing Sirius. "We'll have to travel directly to The Burrow," said Sirius regretfully. "Mad Eye won't like it but I can't see any other choice. We've missed our portkey."

"I hope Buckbeak is okay," said Evie, looking up at the sky. "I think he might have been hurt earlier."

Sirius slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it comfortingly. "Hippogriffs are clever, and Buckbeak especially so. He'll make his way back to Hagrid."

With a final look at the dark sky, they turned on the spot and disappeared.


	5. Grief

**Grief**

They arrived on a grassy slope just feet away from where The Burrow's garden was supposed to be. Although Evie knew the house was there she could not see it; it had been shrouded in at least a dozen different protective enchantments by prodigiously skilled witches and wizards. Sirius retained his grip on her arm and dragged her forwards, through the barrier that wouldn't allow anyone with the Dark Mark to pass. He let out an almost inaudible sigh of relief as The Burrow loomed into sight.

The front door flew open the moment his hand touched the gate. Two figures emerged in the doorway and walked quickly down the garden path. It was difficult to see their faces with their backs to the light that flooded from the house, but from their size and shape Evie guessed they were Remus and Kingsley. Her guess was confirmed when Remus's face loomed out of the darkness. He gripped her firmly by the shoulder with one hand, the other levelling his wand at her face. "We made something together in the attic of Grimmauld Place. What was it?" he demanded.

Beside them, Kingsley put a question to Sirius in the same low, urgent tone of voice. Although she knew that this was standard procedure, that everyone else arriving at The Burrow would have been questioned similarly, Evie couldn't help but shudder at the sight of her friend's face hardened in suspicion. There was an anger in Remus's eyes that was almost frightening. Her breath caught in her throat as she wondered what could have caused it. Had someone been hurt? "A-A garden," she managed to stammer in response.

Remus relaxed but did not release his grip on her shoulder. Instead he pulled her into a brief, rough hug. "Sorry," he murmured. "I had to check. You're the last ones to arrive, and you didn't come by portkey."

Kingsley lowered his wand, apparently satisfied that he was speaking to the real Sirius Black. "What happened to you two?"

"One of them knocked me out," said Sirius. "Evie had to land or fall. Did everyone make it?"

Remus and Kingsley exchanged a dark look, and Evie knew that her earlier fear was true; someone had been hurt. "Mundungus disapparated at the first sign of trouble," said Remus. "Mad Eye was hit by Voldemort."

"Is he…?" began Sirius, but let the question trail off. There was no need to ask whether he had been Stunned or injured by dark magic. When Voldemort levelled his wand at Mad Eye it would have been to kill. Evie uttered a little choking sob. She had never been close to him, but news of his death was the biggest shock she had received all night. It had never occurred to her that Mad Eye, the famed Auror, the man who had been injured and imprisoned but had always survived, could die. The only sign that Sirius had received the news with pain or surprise was a slight pulsing in his cheek as he clenched his jaw. There would be time for grief later; right now he had to know that Harry was safe. "Is anyone else hurt?" he asked.

"George," said Kingsley quietly.

"George?" repeated Evie in a whisper, her heart thumping. Since they had left Hogwarts and started their own business she had become good friends with the twins, and travelled to Diagon Alley at least once a week to chat and watch as they showed off their new stock. Their friendship had been much easier since Fred had realised that Sirius had no intention of abandoning Evie now his name was cleared. Although he and Sirius would never be the best of friends, they could at least get through a conversation without starting an argument.

"He's alive," Remus hurried to reassure her, "but hurt. Snape hit him with _Sectumsempra _and he's lost his ear. Molly has tried everything she can to heal him, but the wound is cursed."

Sirius swore under his breath while Evie forced her features to remain impassive. Severus's (or Snape, as she forced herself to call him now) betrayal still hurt. They'd had a tumultuous relationship, to say the least, and had hurt each other more than once. But he had comforted and helped her when she discovered her pregnancy, and later, consumed with the guilt of her baby's death, he had been the one to drag her out of her black depression. He had encouraged her to sit the exams that would qualify her to join the Ministry, and taught her how to make the potions she would be tested on. Thinking now of those caring gestures, of the quietly affectionate friendship they had built, made her feel nauseous. She couldn't stop herself from wondering whether he had been planning Dumbledore's death as she told him of her grief, whether he had gone straight from their private lessons to relay information to Voldemort.

Kingsley suggested that it was unwise to remain outside, and they silently followed him into The Burrow. They traipsed through the unusually quiet kitchen and into the living room, where everyone was crammed uncomfortably into sagging armchairs and sofas. Molly sat rigidly in her seat, craning to see behind Remus and Kingsley, and sagged with relief as Sirius and Evie came into sight, her eyes swimming with tears. It occurred to Evie that they had all been waiting, terrified, to discover whether the intruder in the garden was friend or foe, wondering whether they would emerge safe and whole into the house or whether one of them was bringing tidings of the other's death.

Searching the small crowd of faces, Evie found Harry. She scrutinised him carefully, looking for signs that he had been injured in the battle. When she raised her eyes to his she realised that he had been doing the same to her, and they shared a small grin before his gaze flicked to Sirius. He made his way immediately to his godson, followed by Arthur and Bill, who were asking what had delayed them, and Remus and Kingsley, wanting to hear the exact details of the fight. Evie hung back. Sirius would want to spare Harry the worst and wouldn't tell him how close they had come to death. She wasn't as adept at hiding her emotions, and knew the fear would show on her face.

Instead she sought out Fred and George, seated, unusually, in the quietest corner of the room. Her eyes were drawn immediately to the gaping hole where George's ear had once been. The wound had been cleaned, but the collar of his shirt was stained with rusty streaks of blood. He attempted to smile as he saw her approach but it looked more like a grimace of pain in his pale and drawn face.

"It's shocking," said Fred, shaking his head sadly as he made room for her on the sofa.

"What is?" she asked, sitting down. Her eyes flicked again to George, but she doubted that Fred would talk about his injury directly. It was the twins' way to joke about everything, even something as serious as this.

"You and Sirius waltzing in here an hour late," explained Fred.

"You're stealing my limelight," said George gravely.

Evie felt her lips twitch. "It is _very_ inconsiderate of us, but you'll have more than enough attention soon. I'm sure you're figuring out some kind of marketing plan to turn this to your advantage."

"Well, we have been toying with a few ideas," said Fred eagerly. "We were thinking of something along the lines of a hat that makes your ears fall off. It'd make an excellent party trick and it's an original excuse for not handing in homework."

The small group around Harry seemed to have reached some sort of decision while they had been talking. Bill, Remus and Sirius were going back out to search for Mad Eye. There was no hope of finding him alive, but they would rather run the risk of being hurt or captured than leave his body to the Death Eaters. No one was especially happy about the idea, particularly Tonks, Fleur and Molly, but when Bill pointed out the alternative of leaving his body for his murderers no one protested. Harry tried to leave with them, fearful that by remaining in The Burrow he was putting its inhabitants in danger, but was shouted down by everyone in the room insisting that he stay.

After the search party left a strange mood descended upon those who stayed behind. There was no longer a reason for everyone to remain together, but no one seemed quite sure what to do or where to go. After promising Harry that they would see him soon, Kingsley and Hagrid departed for their homes. Harry, Ron and Hermione disappeared into the garden while Fleur hovered near the window, peering anxiously up into the dark sky. Ginny took up a position next to her shaken parents, appearing to want to offer comfort rather than receive it.

Fred turned to Evie. "Tea?" he asked quietly. It was the standard Weasley solution to every sort of situation: make a cup of tea. Evie nodded and followed him into the kitchen, where they boiled the kettle and dragged enough chipped cups out of the cupboard for everyone.

Evie checked that the door of the kitchen was firmly closed before asking, "How are you feeling?"

He jerked his shoulders noncommittally and said nothing for such a long time that Evie began to think she wouldn't receive an answer. Finally he said, "To tell you the truth, I'm nervous. After Dumbledore died Mad Eye took over the Order. Now he's gone too. I know we still have Kingsley, but I'm starting to wonder what will happen if… If they get him, too. There are only so many of us."

She wanted to ask him how he felt about George, but knew better than to push him if he wasn't offering the information freely. She had no wish to force him to recall images of his brother lying unconscious, his face drenched in blood. "As long as we're careful, we'll be safe," she said reassuringly, although she didn't truly believe her own words.

"'Constant vigilance'," quoted Fred softly. "It didn't seem to help Mad Eye."

"It wasn't a lack of vigilance that killed Mad Eye," she said. "If Mundungus hadn't disapparated, Mad Eye might still be alive."

In the low light Fred's eyes glittered with anger. Despite his mother's disapproval, he and George had been friends with Mad Eye and he had supplied the more difficult to find ingredients for their products. Although they knew he wasn't the most reliable of men, his display of cowardice and betrayal tonight must have come as a shock.

They returned to the living room, hovering trays crammed precariously with cups in front of them. When everyone had been presented with a cup of steaming tea, Evie realised that there was one left over. Frowning, she looked around the room. "Where's Tonks?" she asked the person closest to her.

"She left a few minutes ago," said Ginny. "I think she's in the garden."

Taking the remaining cup, Evie went in search of her friend. She found her leaning against the outside wall, arms crossed protectively over her chest as she blinked back tears. Evie cursed herself for not going to her sooner. She had been closer to Mad Eye than any of them, and while she must be upset over his death she was probably also terrified that Remus would be hurt while he was attempting to recover his body.

Before she had the chance to comfort her, before she could even open her mouth, Tonks turned to her and said, "I'm glad it's you. I know I should tell Remus first, but you told me before Sirius and I'm not completely sure yet, anyway."

Frowning, Evie set the cup to one side. "What should you tell Remus?" she asked, although she thought that she might already know.

Tonks gave her a sad smile. "I think I'm pregnant."

"That's wonderful news!" said Evie, moving forwards to embrace her friend. Tonks returned the hug half heartedly.

"Is it?" she asked. "If I am pregnant, the baby could grow up without a father."

"Remus will come back," said Evie soothingly. "Sirius will look after him."

Again came the sad smile, and a grief in her eyes that Evie had never seen before. "That not what I meant," said Tonks quietly, and turned her attention back to the sky. Evie wondered what Tonks had meant, but something prevented her from questioning her further. Tonks would tell her when the time was right, and, as with Fred, she didn't wish to force her to recall anything painful. Instead she remained silently at her side, joining her in a watchful vigil.


	6. A Warning

**A Warning**

The night before Bill and Fleur's wedding found Evie and Tonks in The Leaky Cauldron. They weren't there for fun, no one being in the mood for the traditional pre wedding celebrations, but on work for the Order. Their task, made much easier by a pair of extendable ears, was to remain concealed in a small room hidden behind a false wall and try to pick out any hint or rumour of Death Eater activity from the crowd. There were few patrons tonight, a circumstance which, Evie guessed from the barman's morose expression, was a regular occurrence. An aging man, growing steadily drunker by the minute, was propped against the bar and in the far corner there was a gaggle of wizards who looked like they would be more at home in Knockturn Alley. Tonks whispered to Evie that their ringleader, a wiry young man who couldn't have been out of Hogwarts for more than a couple of years, had been arrested a few months before for a particularly nasty case of muggle baiting.

Despite the unsavoury character of the pub's clientele, they heard little of any real importance. One of the wizards repeatedly bragged that he was a newly initiated Death Eater, until finally his friends demanded to see his Dark Mark; his cheeks flared scarlet and he mumbled an excuse into his firewhiskey. After a few minutes of merciless teasing the conversation turned to more conventional topics; the increasingly dire performance of the Chudley Cannons seemed to be of particular importance to this bunch.

Evie and Tonks took it in turns to mount the small step that allowed access to a hole in the wall. The hole was in a painting of Uric the Oddball (Uric being the only portrait in the building who didn't protest against being used in such a way) and allowed the women to view the next room without risk of being seen.

Evie studied Tonks through her lashes as she pressed her eye against the wall. Even in the semi darkness she could see the strain etched on her friend's face. Since the night of Mad Eye's death, and Tonks's revelation in the Weasleys' garden, they hadn't been alone together. At Harry's party a few hours earlier she had seemed happy enough, but Evie knew that something wasn't quite right. The questioning glances she gave Remus, the way her smile seemed plastered on, told Evie that her comment about Remus, which she had quickly dismissed as silliness when questioned, still weighed heavily on her mind.

"Is Remus excited about the baby?" murmured Evie, making a point to turn the page of her book loudly, as if only half paying attention to the conversation.

Tonks's back stiffened. "Yes," she said shortly.

"Have you started thinking about names yet?"

"No."

"Hasn't Remus suggested anything?"

"No."

Scowling, Evie slammed the book shut and tossed it aside. "Talk to me, Tonks," she pleaded. "If there's something wrong I want to help you."

"What makes you think there's anything wrong?"

"What you said about Remus the night we moved Harry-"

"I told you I was just being silly," said Tonks sharply.

"I don't believe you," said Evie bluntly. "You've been miserable ever since you told me about the baby."

"Mad Eye was murdered four days ago!" snapped Tonks, rounding on Evie. "Is it so strange that I'm grieving for my friend?"

Evie flinched at the anger in her voice but was determined to hold her ground. "It's more than that," she insisted. "You and Remus, you're acting strangely around each other. Sometimes the way you look at him, it's like you're afraid of him."

"I could never be afraid of Remus," Tonks protested instantly.

"Not of him," amended Evie, "but of what he might do."

Tonks turned to face Evie and tilted her head back against the wall. Standing there, face drawn and arms crossed defensively over her midriff, she looked so miserable that Evie's heart jumped in sympathy. "You're imaging things," she said tonelessly.

Evie pursed her lips, wondering whether she was doing the right thing by pushing Tonks. A glimpse of her eyes and the terrible lonely look in them made up her mind. Steeling herself she said, "Tonks, when I first thought I was pregnant you did everything for me. You took me to Sn-" she broke off, wincing, before forcing herself to say the hated name "_Snape_. You gave me a place to stay when I needed time to think and when I made my mind up you helped me in whatever way you could. How many times did you listen to me cry after what happened at the Ministry? How many nights did you sit up with me when I had nightmares?"

"But I wanted to do that," protested Tonks. "I'm your friend; I'm supposed to look after you."

"Then why won't you let me do the same for you?" demanded Evie.

For a moment she thought that Tonks would continue to deny everything, but even as she opened her mouth to argue her face crumpled and tears filled her eyes. She immediately raised her hands to swipe away the tears, but Evie hurried forward and pulled her into a tight hug. Tonks hid her face gratefully in the crook of Evie's neck as she cried silently.

"He regrets marrying me," said Tonks thickly. "He never would have suggested it if I hadn't asked. And now it couldn't be more obvious that he doesn't want this baby; he flinches every time I try to talk to him about it."

"Remus does _not _regret marrying you," said Evie firmly. "He loves you, I know he does."

"Then why can't he talk about the baby?" asked Tonks sadly. "Why is he spending more and more time out of the house? He's begging Kingsley for more work and he's already working twice the shifts he was a month ago. What am I supposed to think?"

"I don't know, but I'm certain he doesn't regret anything to do with you. Perhaps…"

She trailed off, cocking her head to one side. Through the extendable ear she heard the door open and close again. "There he is," said a new, low voice. "I hope he doesn't make this difficult. He will be angry if we have to hurt him."

Evie and Tonks stared at each other, eyebrows raised, and parted. Tonks stood aside to allow Evie to mount the step and peer through the hole. Two men had entered the pub and approached the man leaning heavily against the bar. One of them was familiar to her, and a hazy memory from more than a year ago resurfaced. A face looming over hers, demanding to know what she had done with his wand, and then a searing pain shooting up her arm as he broke her wrist. Since then she had been able to put a name to the face: Antonin Dolohov. She rubbed her wrist absentmindedly as it twinged at the memory.

The man who had bragged about being a Death Eater looked up, paled and nudged one of his friends. Soon the whole group fidgeted and cast nervous glances at the two newcomers. The ringleader, trying and failing to appear casual, finished his drink in one gulp, choked and muttered to the others. They rose, leaving glasses that were almost full, and left as quietly as possible.

"You take advantage of the Dark Lord's hospitality, Grey," said Dolohov, making no effort to lower his voice. The only other person in sight was the barman, and he looked as if he dearly wished that the ground would open up and swallow him.

The man called Grey made a point of finishing his drink and setting the empty glass deliberately on the bar before addressing Dolohov. "Your master gave me permission for this outing, Dolohov." His voice was surprisingly steady considering that he was struggling to remain on his feet.

"_Our _master," corrected Dolohov, his voice soft and dangerous. "You were supposed to return by midnight. It is now two hours past that."

"I will return when I am ready," said Grey, and poured himself another drink from an almost empty bottle. A shadow flickered over Dolohov's face and he gripped Grey's arm so tightly that his knuckles turned white. With a strength that belied his age and scrawny frame, Grey wrenched his arm out of Dolohov's grasp. His hand moved towards his pocket and froze halfway there, anger flaring in his eyes before being replaced with a look of resignation. Evie realised he had been reaching for a wand that was no longer there.

Behind the false wall, the two women exchanged a determined look. Their instructions had been merely to collect information and report it back to Kingsley, the acting head of the Order now that Mad Eye was dead. Under no circumstances were they supposed to place themselves in a situation that required combat. With Tonks's pregnancy and Evie's average duelling skills it was deemed to be too dangerous. But they couldn't stand by and watch as Death Eaters dragged an unarmed man away to an uncertain fate.

Evie groped for Tonks's hand, squeezed it once, and then, sliding her wand out of her pocket, opened the hidden door a crack.

She was never able to figure out what made Grey turn around at that precise moment. There was no telltale creak of a door opening, no traitorous light to spill out of their hidden room and give them away. Perhaps it was the same primal sense of danger that had caused Evie's arm to ache the moment she laid eyes on Dolohov. Whatever the reason, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Evie's face peering out of the door, and she knew by the recognition in his eyes that despite the dim light and the distance between them he knew exactly who she was.

Before the Death Eaters could glimpse her, he snapped his head back to the front and said, "Alright, I will come with you. Just give me a moment to visit the bathroom."

"We should go with him," said the unnamed Death Eater. "He might try to escape."

"Without a wand?" scoffed Dolohov. "He wouldn't get far. You've got two minutes, Grey. If you're not back by then I'm coming for you." He glanced around the empty room, his mouth twisting into a sneer. "We'll wait outside; I'm not staying in this dump any longer than necessary."

Ignoring the barman's deep obeisance, the Death Eaters strode from the pub. Dolohov cast a final warning look at Grey before slamming the door behind him. Grey paused for a few seconds, waiting to see if they would return, and then hurried over to where Evie crouched in the shadows.

"Come with us," she said urgently. "We can take you somewhere safe, we can-"

Her words were cut off as Grey grabbed a fistful of her robes and jerked her forwards so that they were face to face. Behind her Tonks squawked in protest and Evie knew that she was raising her wand in a futile gesture; she couldn't fire at Grey without the risk of hitting Evie. At this distance she could smell the sharp stench of alcohol on his breath, but his eyes were serious and when he spoke his voice was firm.

"Nowhere is safe for me," he said in a low, steely voice. "Don't try to help me and don't try to follow me. Don't even look at me because when you see my face, Evie Potter, you see your death."

With that last growled warning, he shoved her roughly back into the hidden room, sending her flying off the step and into a startled Tonks. The light disappeared as the door was slammed shut with such force that, they soon discovered, it jammed. By the time they had picked themselves off the floor and forced the door open Grey was gone, and the only person left in the pub was the barman, looking as if he greatly regretted allowing Evie and Tonks use of the secret room.


	7. The Wedding

Evie tried and failed to understand what had happened at The Leaky Cauldron. Nothing about the scene they had witnessed made sense. The man – Grey, they had called him – was working for Voldemort in some capacity, that much was clear, but he was no Death Eater. They obeyed their master with unquestioning, grovelling loyalty. No one would disobey an order from him unless they wished to court death. Grey was different. She guessed from his hostility to the Death Eaters that he did not work for Voldemort willingly. It was not uncommon for people to be forced into his service, but unless they wished to oppose him openly they hid their reluctance and misgivings behind a veil of absolute obedience.

Then there was his reaction to her. As the sister of the Boy Who Lived her face was well known but most people would not have recognised her from the glimpse he'd had, half hidden behind a door and swathed in shadow. His job, or so his warning suggested, was to bring her to harm but he had not revealed her, had in fact forced her to hide and complied with the Death Eaters to insure they wouldn't see her.

Tonks was just as mystified. Evie had hoped that she might recognise him from the Ministry but Tonks was certain she had never laid eyes on him before. Ask Sirius, she'd advised, and she would ask Remus. Although they were not of an age with Grey, Sirius and Remus were closer to his age then Evie and Tonks were. Perhaps they would know or remember something about him.

But when she arrived back at their house she found Sirius asleep in the garden. He had used what appeared to be all the pillows from their sofa to cushion the hard ground, and the air around him was unnaturally warm for night time. Although she couldn't see it, she was certain he had cast a charm to repel water. This was not the first time he had fallen asleep outdoors over the summer, and on one unfortunate occasion he had been jolted awake by a shower of rain.

She reached out to wake him but hesitated, fingers hovering over his arm. Sleeping like this, stretched out beneath the stars, was fast becoming one of his favourite things to do, and he wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer. Summer would only last so long; it would be autumn before they knew it, and the colder weather would confine them to the house at night. Grey could wait until tomorrow night, she decided. She doubted he would show up at The Burrow to trouble her. Kissing Sirius lightly, she settled down at his side and quickly drifted off.

When she next woke it was to brilliant sunlight and the smell of toast. She groaned and turned her face into the pillow only to be rolled onto her back again. "Oh no you don't," said Sirius, his voice mock stern. "We only have an hour before we need to be at the Burrow."

"An hour?" she squeaked, jerking upright and narrowly avoiding crashing into him. "The wedding is in an hour?" She struggled to her feet, ignoring her body's protests. "I have grass in my hair and," she caught a whiff of her robes, "I smell like I spent the night in The Leaky Cauldron. It won't matter if I tell Molly I was working, she'll flay me if I show up smelling like a brewery."

"Relax," he said in an infuriatingly laid back tone. "I've already run you a bath and," he presented a plate of toast with a flourish, "made you breakfast."

She took the plate gratefully, eating the toast in swift bites as she hurried into the house. "Oo im-"

"What?" he interrupted, frowning.

She swallowed in a large gulp and tried again. "You're in an unusually good mood."

"Aren't weddings supposed to be happy occasions?"

"You weren't this cheerful when Tonks and Remus got married," she pointed out.

"Well I was best man then. Today I have all the cake and champagne and none of the responsibility."

Arriving at the bathroom, she thrust the empty plate into his waiting hands and all but tore her robe off. She washed and dressed in record time, grateful that she had chosen what to wear days ago. By the time she was ready Sirius was waiting for her at the door, handsome in a new set of dress robes.

"Ready?" she asked, hastily stuffing her wand into her handbag.

"Ready," he confirmed, suppressed laughter in his voice.

She grabbed his hand and all but ran through the door, Apparating them away the moment they stepped outside the barrier of the house's protective enchantments. They arrived on a grassy hill moments after a small group of witches and wizards who were being shepherded to The Burrow by Arthur Weasley. They hurried to catch up, slipping silently into the back of the group.

Inside, Molly greeted them with a swift, and rather distracted, kiss on the cheek. "Still so much to do!" she said, throwing an agitated look over her shoulder at the house. "Ginny needs help with her dress and I'd bet a bag of galleons that Ron is wearing odd socks."

"I could help Ginny," volunteered Evie.

"No, no, dear. Fleur has given _very _specific instructions. You go and join the other guests, and if you happen to see Fred and George tell them not to bother Fleur's friends."

A loud crash came from the direction of the kitchen. Molly whipped around with a groan of exasperation and, wand already in hand, rushed into the house. Evie hoped that the source of the noise managed to flee before Molly got there, and the smirk Sirius wore told her he was thinking the same thing. They made their way to the sound of voices, Evie's head swivelling to take in the garden. It was neater than she had ever seen it, hardly an unruly gnome in sight. She suspected that everyone at The Burrow had been roped into making it so presentable.

A red haired young man, probably another Weasley relative, met them at the entrance of the marquee. He smiled broadly at them and said, "I'm glad to see you two."

She smiled politely as she frantically wracked her memory, trying to figure out how this stranger knew her. Sirius, greeting the man warmly, seemed to know him. Then she remembered: as an extra precaution, Harry would be attending the wedding disguised as someone else. "Hello Ha -! Oh, er, Barny. Can I have a word with you?"

His face clouded but he nodded and followed her away from the marquee, leaving Sirius to be ushered in by Fred and George. Behind her she heard Sirius say, "Your mum wants you to stop bothering the girls."

"We're not _bothering,"_ said George, affronted.

"Charming is the word," supplied Fred.

"I don't need to charm, heroically losing an ear in battle makes me automatically interesting and irresistible."

"Keep dreaming," snorted Fred. "The only thing it does is make all your hats lopsided."

Their voices faded as Evie drew Harry further away. "I can't tell you what I'm going to do," said Harry the moment they were out of earshot.

"I wouldn't ask," she said immediately. "Sirius and Remus said Dumbledore told you not to tell anyone." She would probably regret this moment later, after Harry had left The Burrow and she drove herself mad imagining what kind of danger he was putting himself in, but she knew it was no good interrogating him. Harry hated secrets; if he thought keeping this one was necessary it must be important. "And I'm not going to tell you to be careful because," she smiled wryly, "I know you won't be. I just wanted to tell you that we're always here if you need help. No questions asked."

His smile was relieved. She wondered whether he was grateful for her offer or because she hadn't tried to drag any information from him. They shared a brief but warm hug before Fred stuck his head out of the marquee and hissed, "Oi, you two! Mum will go mad if she finds out you're not in your seats yet."

"We should do what he says," said Harry. "Mrs Weasley is frightening when it comes to the wedding."

Grinning at each other, they headed to the marquee at a half run and followed Fred to their seats. Evie settled in the chair next to Sirius's while Harry continued up the aisle to a seat close to the front. "What was all that about with Barny?" murmured Sirius. "You weren't trying to get him to tell you what he's planning to do, were you?"

"Of course not," she whispered back, slightly offended that he would think so. "I just wanted to make sure he knows that - " She fell silent abruptly as music filled the marquee. She nudged him slightly and nodded to the entrance where Fleur stood, even more breathtakingly beautiful than usual. By the time she reached Bill, Molly and Mrs Delacour had dissolved into floods of tears and Hagrid was fumbling his handkerchief from his pocket.

During the ceremony Evie's eyes were drawn inexorably to Sirius. The weeks after the battle at the Ministry had been a black time for both of them, but as they began to emerge from it he had undergone a change that was both physical and mental. The atmosphere of Grimmauld Place had always oppressed him. He carried the memories of his miserable childhood like a weight on his shoulders. Free of the place, able to walk among other wizards as an innocent man, his entire bearing had changed. His step was lighter and he laughed more readily. The freedom to leave his house when he pleased, to carry out important, useful work for the Order, had gone a long way to eradicating Azkaban's mark from his face. The effect of his years of imprisonment would never truly be erased but she saw more and more of the handsome, laughing man from old photographs.

Thinking about the change in him led her thoughts to an unhappy possibility. They were in almost as much danger as Harry. With the exception of Ron and Hermione, they were closer to him than anyone else and Voldemort knew it. Capturing either one of them would be an enormous victory because Harry would almost certainly attempt to rescue them. If things got much worse they would have to think about going into hiding. How would Sirius cope with yet another confinement?

She shook her head as if she could physically rid herself of the unpleasant thought. Instead of dwelling on what could happen she tugged lightly on Sirius's hand and, when he looked down, tiptoed to give him a brief but tender kiss. He raised his eyebrows, clearly wanting to know what had inspired that, but she just smiled and turned her attention back to Bill and Fleur.

The wizard performing the ceremony announced the couple bonded and there was a wave of applause. With a wave of his wand he transformed the marquee for the night's eating and dancing. After fighting their way through a sea of well wishers, Bill and Fleur made it to the dance floor for the first dance, followed shortly by both sets of parents. When other couples began to join them, Sirius turned to Evie and said, "Shall we give it a go?"

"As long as we don't dance anywhere near Tonks. I like my toes as they are: unbroken."

As they headed to the dance floor a stage whisper caught her attention. She turned her head to see an old woman staring at her with wide eyes, her mouth curved in a delighted smile. "There goes the Potter girl, her thighs are far too plump. And that's Black, looking as if he just got out of Azkaban yesterday. What they get up to is a scandal, a _scandal. _Haven't you heard about it, dear?" she asked a bemused looking witch sitting nearby. "I'll tell you all about it..."

At another time the comment would have provoked anger from Sirius, but the happy atmosphere and the fact that the old woman seemed to be roundly abusing everyone who passed her table prevented it. Instead he just looked at Evie and rolled his eyes, smirking, before tugging her gently onto the dance floor. "Well _I _think you look very handsome," she assured him when they were out of earshot.

"And I think your thighs are perfect."

At that moment Fred passed, one of Fleur's friends on his arm. Evie knew by the twitch in his cheek that he had heard Sirius's comment, and she was surprised when no joke came. He was, she guessed, trying to make a good impression but the effort of restraining himself seemed to be causing him physical pain.

As the day wore on it seemed like she danced with everyone. Fred and George claimed her several times, spinning her in elaborate turns and dipping her dramatically. Finally, when her sides began to ache with laughter, she threw up her hands and refused to let either one pull her out onto the dance floor again. She did, however, convince Harry to join her in an awkward shuffle. She sought out Ginny and Hermione for a fast number and they were joined by a friend of theirs from Hogwarts, Luna. When the music slowed and people formed into couples she had to hide her smile at the furtive glances Ron threw Hermione.

Exhausted but happy, she retreated to sit with Sirius. He held out a glass of cool champagne as she collapsed into the seat next to his. She took it gratefully and raised her free hand to lightly brush his cheek. He caught it and pressed a kiss into her palm, then another on her wrist and then, grinning wolfishly, he grazed his teeth over the sensitive skin there. He murmured something but she was too focused on the shivers running pleasantly up her arm to pay attention.

"Did you say something?" she asked absently.

"I said," he began in an offhand tone, "this marriage thing seems to be popular."

"Well Bill and Fleur seem to be enjoying it," she said, looking over to where the couple were gazing at each other with the kind of lovesick expression that would make the other Weasley offspring gag.

"Tonks and Remus, too." He paused, stroking her fingers, before continuing, "Have you ever heard the saying that good things come in threes?"

"What does that-?" She stopped abruptly and turned to face him, taking in his intent expression. "Are you-? Is this what I think it is?"

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth while his eyes widened innocently. "I don't know. What do you think it is?"

"A unique, and rather unromantic, way of asking me to marry you."

"Well I had to find _something _to do with this," he said casually, uncovering the part of her hand that had been concealed by his long fingers. Somehow, either by magic or stealth, he had managed to slip a ring onto her finger. She stared at it in blank shock. It was beautiful, at its centre an emerald that matched the shade of her eyes. Sirius grinned smugly, clearly pleased with himself.

She cleared her throat and, in what she hoped was a neutral tone, said, "Feeling confident, are we?"

"Confidence is part of my charm." His voice was light but his eyes were serious, fixed on her face while he waited for an answer. She thought she could detect a flicker of apprehension.

"I suppose I can't keep the ring if I say no?"

"I'm afraid we come as a package."

She heaved a loud sigh as if greatly put upon. "In that case, I'll have to say yes."

Somehow she was no longer sitting in her chair but on Sirius's lap, and he was pulling her into a deep kiss. After a moment he pulled away but maintained his hold around her waist. "You're sure?" he asked.

"Yes. But," she said quickly as he leaned in for another kiss, "I have a condition."

"I'd wrangle a dragon if you'd like." He frowned. "Although I probably shouldn't be giving you ideas."

She snorted. "Nothing like that. I just want to wait for a while, until Harry can be there openly. I want him to walk me down the aisle as him, not as some long lost relative. And we can't tell anyone about this until tomorrow; this is Bill and Fleur's day."

"Agreed," he said, and started to pull her into the kiss he had been denied moments ago. Before he could, a loud and pointed cough behind them made them jerk apart. They turned to see Tonks and Remus staring at them, both of them wearing expressions caught between exasperation and amusement.

"We're the newlyweds here, you know," said Tonks. "We can't have you upstaging us."

"You are making Bill and Fleur look restrained by comparison," added Remus gravely.

"If you can bear to be parted, may I borrow my cousin for a dance?" asked Tonks.

Evie felt Sirius's thighs tense beneath her and knew he was worrying about what would happen to his toes if he agreed. Grinning wickedly, she hopped off his lap and dragged him to his feet. "Of course he won't deny you a dance," she said, pushing him firmly in Tonks's direction.

"Brilliant!" said Tonks, taking his arm and steering him towards the dance floor. Sirius glowered over his shoulder at Evie, his look silently promising that she would suffer for this later.

"Well, Evie," said Remus after they had gone. "Shall we dance or just be wallflowers together?"

She smiled up at him, taking his proffered arm. "I'd love to dance."

Once they were amongst the other couples, however, his smile faded and his eyes took on a faraway look. Staring up at him, she wondered whether Tonks had spoken to him about her worries. "Remus..." she began falteringly, unsure whether broaching the topic with him was the right thing to do. "You know how much I love you and Tonks, don't you? You're as much my family as Harry."

He smiled with a distracted air. "Yes, Evie, I know."

She hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. She didn't want to betray Tonks's trust by relaying everything she had confided in her to Remus, but neither could she stand by silently when something was clearly wrong. "I'm worried about you. You seem unhappy."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look it," she said bluntly.

"Everyone is morose at the moment. With Dumbledore and Mad-Eye-"

"It's not that," she interrupted, voice firm. "You're right, all of us are grieving and worried, but no one looks as unhappy as you."

For a moment she thought he would continue to deny it. Then he seemed to sag and he suddenly looked unspeakably weary. "What if it's like me?" he whispered.

"What if _what's _like you?" she asked, and when Remus regarded her with exasperation she realised what he referred to. "Oh, the baby. What if it's loyal, caring, intelligent? I couldn't imagine anything better."

"That is exactly what Lily would have said."

"Smart woman."

"She was. But her affection for her friends could blind her. Evie," he said desperately, "the rest of the world doesn't see me as you do. To them I'm little more than a monster." He lowered his voice. "Do you think any of these people," he let go of her hand briefly to gesture at the dancing couples surrounding them, "would be so comfortable standing next to me if they knew that I'm a – what I really am?"

"What you really are, Remus, is one of the best people I know," she said fiercely. "One of the bravest, most selfless-"

He uttered a strangled laugh. "_Selfless? _How can you say that after what I've inflicted on Tonks, on an innocent child?"

She felt a flicker of annoyance for how little credit Remus was giving his wife. Tonks was a grown woman, not just a competent witch but an auror. He couldn't inflict anything on her if he tried. Evie opened her mouth to tell him this but before she could speak she caught sight of a silver light streaking through the air. It settled on the floor and resolved itself into the shape of a lynx. When it began to speak, it was with Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

There was a shimmering moment of silence. Then, almost as one, people began to scream. Amongst the frightened cries Evie could hear people shout protective enchantments. Members of the Order immediately sprang into action, casting shield charms around those too frozen with fear to do it themselves and ordering them to Apparate away. All this happened in the few seconds in took for the Death Eaters to arrive in their midst. People began to panic in earnest and in the sudden surge of movement she was separated from Remus. She groped for his hand but the jostling of the crowd had already swept her too far away.

She looked frantically around for those she loved but their faces were hidden in the sea of strangers surrounding her. Hope that they had already Apparated to safety warred with the awful knowledge that the Death Eaters would target them before anyone else.

Then, miraculously, there was a break in the crowd and she caught a glimpse of Sirius. His wand was raised high, his eyes scanning the faces of the people around him. She cried out to him and somehow, over the shouted curses and counter curses, he heard her. Their eyes met and his widened, his mouth shaping words of warning she couldn't hear. Before he could do more than whip his wand around to her, a hand descended on her wrist with bruising force. She tried to raise her wand to defend herself but her assailant jerked her sharply, knocking her off balance and sending her careering into his chest.

She looked up into a Death Eater's mask and, although his face was hidden from view, she knew he was staring down at her with a vicious, victorious smile. As she struggled, trying to snatch her hand away, his arms clamped around her in an impossibly tight grip. "Evie!" Sirius roared, and she could hear him struggling through the crowd to reach her. "Ev-!" But his voice suddenly disappeared as the Death Eater turned on the spot, Apparating her away from the Burrow and her friends.


	8. Captured

The first thing Evie became aware of was the floor beneath her. It was hard stone, so cold it was almost like lying on ice. She tried to sit up but the bite of metal into her wrists jerked her sharply back into place. She opened her eyes for the first time and looked at the shackles on her wrists and ankles, keeping her firmly chained to metal rings on the floor. She felt the first stirrings of panic, making her breath come quickly. She tugged uselessly against her bindings, knowing instinctively that it would do no good but unable to stop herself. Her struggles grew more and more violent until she was thrashing on the floor, barely aware of the damage she was inflicting on herself. It was only when she realised the amount of noise she was making, and a part of her mind still capable of logic warned her of the danger of drawing attention to herself, that she finally fell still. She listened, hardly daring to breathe, for approaching footsteps. When none came she relaxed marginally and attempted to think.

The haziness of her memories worried her. The wedding had been a few hours ago at most, she shouldn't have trouble recalling it. Had she been hit by a curse? That might account for the sluggishness of her mind.

Her thoughts flew to Harry. Had he managed to escape? She hadn't seen him after the arrival of Kingsley's message, but it had been difficult to find anyone in the rush to escape the Death Eaters. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that Harry's safety was the Order's priority; there wasn't a single member who wouldn't lay down their life for him. But Harry could be reckless in defence of his friends, and she knew he would have wanted to stay and fight. The task that Dumbledore had set him was important, but was it important enough to overpower his instincts and make him flee?

Then there were the others. Ron and Hermione, as Harry's known friends, were certain to be targeted. The Weasleys were all considered blood traitors, Remus little better than a dog and Bellatrix was desperate to kill Tonks. There could be little doubt about what would happen to them if they were captured.

Without realising it she had been shying away from thinking about Sirius, but unbidden an image of him frantically trying to reach her rose in her mind. He would not have left. Not to save himself, not even if he realised she had been taken beyond his reach. He would have stayed, fighting Death Eaters in the hope of forcing some useful information out of them or simply to relieve his anger and fear. Tonks and Remus were her only hope here. Remus had always been the voice of reason, acting as a restraining force on Sirius. She hoped they had dragged him away from The Burrow, that they had grabbed him and Apparated to safety.

Whatever had happened to her friends, she was no good to them chained up like this. This was not the first time she had been captured by a Death Eater, although this time there would be no mysterious power to save her. Tears welled in her eyes as hot shame bubbled in the pit of her stomach. If she had not been so weak, such a coward, she could have used the power she discarded so carelessly to help her friends.

Crying about it would do her no good. She had to do something useful. Taking a steadying breath, she raised herself as far as the chains would allow and looked around the room.

Her eyes were drawn first to the window. The sky was an inky black so her guess must have been right; unless she had been unconscious for a whole day, it could only have been a few hours since the wedding. As her eyes roamed around the rest of the room she saw that her cell was not a conventional one. It was, in fact, someone's bedroom. To her left stood a richly appointed four poster bed, piled high with pillows. To her right, too far away to provide any real warmth, was a large fire that provided the only light in the room. Everything she could glimpse through the shadows spoke of great wealth and an ancient lineage: large portraits, furniture that looked like it had been handed down through generations and an enormous, intricate tapestry depicting a family tree.

A creak of hinges drew her eyes immediately to the door. Someone moved in the shadows there. She squinted into the darkness and, almost choking on terror and burning anger, knew who watched her. She hadn't seen her in a year, but she could hardly fail to recognise her: the last time she had seen the women, she had tried to murder Evie.

Bellatrix stepped into the room, smirking and tapping her wand lightly against the palm of her hand. She moved with the same easy grace as Sirius, but she hummed with an intense energy that gave her movements unpredictability. She stalked around Evie like an angry cat, eyes gleaming malevolently in the dim light. It took Evie an enormous amount of will not to wince or tremble, constantly expecting to see Bellatrix's wand slash through the air or feel the heft of her boot in her side.

When Bellatrix finally pounced, there was no warning, no hint of what was about to happen. One moment she was standing, the next she was sitting astride Evie's stomach and yanking one of her hands roughly from its manacle. Evie couldn't suppress a cry as the metal scraped the cuts she had created struggling against her bonds, and Bellatrix's lips curved in a wicked smile.

"What's this?" she demanded, yanking Evie's hand into the air and pointing at her engagement ring. She gasped breathlessly. "Does this mean we're family now? I really should send my cousin a present to congratulate him. I know," she cooed, drawing out a dagger from her belt. "How about one of those pretty green eyes?"

A scream was building in Evie's throat that she knew she wouldn't be able to suppress. Before it could pass her lips, there was a loud bang and Bellatrix was sent flying across the room. It took her only a second to recover, leaping to her feet with a shriek of fury. "Who dares?" she roared, pointing her wand at a figure that had appeared in a doorway.

"I do," came the calm reply, and Evie's heart seemed to freeze as she recognised the voice of Severus Snape. He stepped into the room, wand trained on Bellatrix. "You are interfering in matters that are none of your concern."

"The old man takes too long," she hissed. "A few minutes with me and she'll be begging to spill her secrets."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand this, Bellatrix, but some problems require something subtler than brute force."

Bellatrix kept her wand fixed on Snape but raised her other hand to point the dagger at Evie. "I'll show you what brute force can do."

"By all means," drawled Snape. "When she lies dead and her secrets have gone with her, you can tell the Dark Lord it happened because you thought you knew better."

It lasted no longer than a few seconds but for a moment Bellatrix was unmistakeably scared, and in the darkness she looked almost like a child who had disappointed her parent. Then she fell back into her customary sneer. "I'll be taking this up with the Dark Lord."

"As you wish," said Snape, stepping aside and nodding pointedly at the door.

Bellatrix stepped delicately over Evie, as if fearful of dirtying her boots. She paused in the doorway next to a man Evie hadn't noticed before, and hissed what sounded like a threat in his ear. He was as unperturbed as Snape, sparing her a single disdainful look before turning his gaze away. She stormed away, muttering darkly under her breath. Snape waited silently until he heard the distant bang of a door, then said curtly, "Take care of your charge."

Without so much as a glance at Evie, he strode from the room.

The other man came to kneel at her side. He flicked his wand and her manacles sprang open. The moment she was free she tried to rise, to scramble away from him, but she fell straight back down again, overcome by an unexpected weakness.

"Don't struggle," ordered the man. "I have no intention of harming you, but if you try to resist in this weakened state then you will hurt yourself."

"Where am I?" she demanded, and was shocked by the faintness of her voice.

"All reasonable questions will be answered in due course, but not tonight. Tonight you must rest, try to regain some of your strength."

Ignoring this, she said, "My friends – what happened to them? Do you have them?"

"Tomorrow," he said firmly. "I will tell you of your friends tomorrow. Tonight you must not tax yourself."

"Thank you for your concern," she spat.

He slung her arm over his shoulders, ignoring her feeble attempts to swat him away, and pulled her carefully to her feet. He paused, allowing her to adjust to the change in her position, before beginning to slowly lead her from the room. The weakness that had prevented her from rising now made her stumble on every other step. Disgusted with herself, she clung to his shirt to remain upright.

They entered a long corridor, lined on either side by more portraits. It seemed like they struggled down it for hours, Evie stumbling and keeping up a torrent of questions, the man steadying her and refusing to answer. He finally brought them to a halt in front of a door and nudged it open with his foot. Evie was not sure what she had expected to see – a cell, a windowless dungeon – but this was not it. She was standing on the threshold of a room every bit as fine as the one she had just left, albeit it was a lot smaller. Like that room, it was dominated by a four poster bed and lit by a small fire. Something was not quite the same. The detail nagged at her until she finally placed it: there were no portraits here.

"This will be your room for as long as you stay here," said the man as he guided her into the room, depositing her carefully in a large armchair.

"Does You-Know-Who treat all his prisoners this well?"

"For the Dark Lord's plans, it is imperative that you remain in good health."

"Why?" she demanded, panic fluttering in her chest. The news that she was to be singled out, to be kept alive and healthy when so many others were killed without a second thought, was somehow just as frightening as if she had been thrown into a dungeon. "Does he want to use me to get to Harry?"

"As I have already told you," he said, with the slightest hint of impatience, "I will answer some of your questions tomorrow."

"I need-"

"_Tomorrow_," he interrupted sharply. "Now, there are clean robes at the end of your bed, and someone will arrive shortly with food. After you have eaten, I expect you to rest." He stared at her for a long moment, as if expecting her to promise that she would indeed rest. When she said nothing, meeting his patient gaze with a hostile one, he made the slightest shrug and left the room, the door shutting with a click behind him.

The moment the door closed, Evie was on her feet and moving as quickly as she could. She stumbled and fell against the door. Recovering quickly, she straightened and tried the handle. Locked, as she knew it would be, but she couldn't help the sinking feeling of disappointment. Without a wand, she had no hope of opening it. She was not like Fred and George, who didn't need magic to open locks. Perhaps she could wrest a wand from whoever brought her food, or smash a window and drop to the ground if she wasn't too far up.

As she turned around to investigate, she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror hanging on the wall and froze. Her dress was dirty and shabby, torn in several places. Her face was smudged with dirt, and when she glanced down she saw that her hands and arms were the same. Apart from the obvious shabbiness, there was something wrong with her appearance that she couldn't quite place. It took her a moment to realise that her hair seemed slightly longer than it had been when she looked in the mirror that morning.

Before she could even begin to wonder what all of it meant, a flurry of movement at the window caught her eye. She walked slowly over to the window, unwilling to believe what she was seeing. It had to be a trick of her eyes. She was exhausted and frightened; it was not surprising that she was confused. But the closer she got the less she believed her own assurances, until by the time she stood with her hands pressed against the cold glass there could be no denying reality. Even though it was August, and only a few hours earlier she had danced in glorious sunlight, snow was falling thick and fast from the sky, and a white blanket rolled out in front of her as far as she could see.


End file.
